Just Like Leaves
by snarksadoodle
Summary: Just like leaves, lives sway and fall. Lives sway and fall, just like leaves. The death of someone very close has a young cat reeling in and out of insanity. He refuses to let well enough go and move on with his life. Hauntings and memories come rushing back, leaving unpleasant scars. Just like leaves, lives sway and fall. Lives sway and fall, just like leaves. November Challenge.


_Just like leaves, lives sway and fall_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

"No!"

With the ferocity of lightning and the roar of thunder- a blood-curdling scream shook the sodden earth. Time stood still, previous motions ceasing to exist as the one word shattered ear drums, piercing fear into heart and soul. Despite the shell shocked silence that befell the crowd of felines- fat globs of rainwater spilled from the heavens, noisily striking the surrounding foliage where pine mingled with oak. Formerly bristled pelts currently resided waterlogged and flat; the option of fluffing now impossible. Scents of fear and rage blurred as shaped droplets smashed them together without mercy. In defiance of these muddled fragrances, one prideful musk flashed fiercely above the rest. Easily distinguished as well as easily despised.

Death.

"No..." the quieter protest was less audible, however still heard above the spattering of rain-beaten leaves. Through the cloud of dark stained coats, a ginger freckled physique shifted around the breathing, worrisome emeralds seeking the lifeless mere tail lengths away. Through the sheet of moving liquid, two shapes were shockingly visible; one shuddering with furiously blinking blue optics while the other lay slumped on their side, once bright green orbs suddenly dulled and empty as the crimson pooling around his throat was washed away into the grass.

A spark of hope was severely needed. Anything- a tail swish, an ear flick, a simple vocalization...Yet it hadn't arrived.

"Specklepaw...?" the ginger marked tomcat loomed closer- stature weak and slouching. Speaking past his tightening throat, another name came to be. "Abbott?" His heart clenched, stiffening with grief as no response was given to his advances. Void of living presence, the body continued to lay- untouched other than the harsh pitter-patter.

"I- I'm s-sorry," a shaking vocal chord struck the adjacent's ear canals, reminding him of the other living and breathing figure. "I only meant to nick his ear; not my fault he decided to move his throat in the way..."

With a whiplash motion, the tinier tom's rain plastered crown rocketed- sharp jade burning into the depths of a glassy aquamarine. Like the calm green-leaf sky.

 _Green-leaf sky blue..._

He noted the feature quickly, locking it away among the other scattered thoughts whirling through his mind a mile a minute.

"You killed him," he murmured, barely within earshot. His sodden head lowered, shard-like orbs piercing the ground. The sky blue-eyed tom blinked owlishly, leaning closer in hopes to hear what had been said a little better.

"What was that?"

"You killed him!" an explosion of screeching rose above the storm, several startled felines backing up. "You killed my brother! You monster!" Emeralds flooding with bloodlust, the ginger dotted, brown male lurched, paws slipping on the slick and crimson grass. His lack of footing still managed to land a swipe at the ThunderClan warrior's chest fur. A rush of satisfaction coursed through his veins as he felt his stubby claws catch the muddy white coat. However, a chest scar was as far as he got in wounding terms before teeth sank into his scruff, hauling his lightweight frame.

"Frecklepaw! Get a hold of yourself!" the black as night she-cat willed loudly, her voice muffled due to the clumping of fur now dominating. She couldn't help but feel sorrow as she dragged his thrashing figure away from his only kin since the duo had requested ShadowClan's aid. She heard his cries as he leaked tears of suffering, mixed with his resisting motions as he tried to escape her iron tooth grip. It was futile, but she had to give the kid props for fighting back. Five moons ago, the kit could barely harm a butterfly without breaking down in defeat. If she wasn't so sorry for his well being, she would've let him show off those moons of training.

"Cease!" the booming of a gray mottled tom rattled as loud as the thunder itself. "Honeystar, take your warriors and leave. There is to be no more bloodshed tonight." A golden honey she-cat sulked away into the shadows with a protesting hiss, her warriors trailing behind her. One of them being the white tom with green-leaf, sky blue eyes. He cast a sorrowful glance over his shoulder at the furiously twitchy ShadowClan apprentice. Paw steps low and soft, the departing cats disappeared into the undergrowth, hopefully not to be seen for a long while. As the final felines vanished from sight, the mottled gray bellowed, "ShadowClan, to me!" before bounding off the outcrop he previously perched upon, tottering at a quick but not sprinting pace while the remaining warriors gathered up the injured.

Forced away from his twin, Frecklepaw was unable to see the limpness of his brother as he was easily carried by a reddish tabby- Redthorn, by the looks of it. Rather, he was still pulled along by the midnight furred female, urging him to look forward. He blatantly ignored her, crown bobbing and weaving as a futile attempt to seek out his dead-eyed kin.

"Look ahead," Ravendusk grunted, pelt prickling with irritation as he refused her original requests. "That's not something for your eyes to see..."

* * *

 _Just like leaves, lives sway and fall_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

Crisp winds ruffled rigid pelts, the frosty air blasting through thin fur without mercy. Shriveled leaves broke from their weak hold on the tips of brittle, suspended twigs. Their vivid colors of orange and yellow dappled the earth. Bush tailed squirrels scurried along the intertwining branches, darting around with plump acorns wedged in their teeth, chattering noisily without a care in the world.

Leaves shuffled as another bout of leaf-fall wind flitted around petrified stalks of taut wood. Haunting whispers drifted on the breeze, ghosts of the past shifting with shrill chimes. Offering no sympathy to the shuddering, dying plants, rough caresses tarnished the broad tips with a chilling draft, continuing to hiss and blow on that particularly blustery morning.

The cries lessened as the pine treed territory dwindled, where rich autumn splashes grew more abundant and scents began to merge. Oak and pine fused in a small explosion of fragrances, drowning the sparse clearing in comfort. Flat and wind-blown grass lay untouched save for a modest plot of unearthed land. Hunched up next to the apprentice-sized mound, the ginger speckled tomcat sat with a dulled tangerine leather circlet donned with a once shiny bell.

"Hey Specklepaw...Abbott..." he used both names, voice low as he spoke around the object clamped loosely in his maw. "It's me again- Frecklepaw. But you know me best as Costello. I brought you something." He shook his head swiftly, relieved as the little bell jingled nostalgically. "Recognize it?" Frecklepaw set his brother's collar down on the grainy soil, the only memory of the life they both left behind. "Took me a while to find it, no one would tell me where it was buried. I found it in a hidden mound near that old stump. You remember, don't you? That old stump where we practiced jumping? Good times, good times. Sorry I wasn't here yesterday, Nettlepad forbade me from coming here. He said I needed to brush up on my battle moves. According to him they've been getting sloppy. But all that practice must've been good for something. Wanna see?"

While he received no answer from the void grave, Frecklepaw acted as if his sibling was bouncing with glee, eagerly awaiting to see the movements.

"So Nettlepad said you wanna strike from below. ShadowClan's quick and sly, and our moves have to replicate that in battle." As he spoke, the ginger flecked apprentice fell into a motion pattern, paws swiping out fluidly like water. Writhing and slithering like a snake, jaws snapping furiously- envisioning clamping around the throat of a certain unnamed ThunderClan warrior with green-leaf, sky blue eyes. Slashing out at the air, he imagined white fur being shredded from its original host, littering the ground in tufts like new fallen snow. Scarlet droplets staining the ground in heavy puddles, gushing waves flooding from fatal gashes lining the throat, belly and flanks. A bloody, eyeless face in which those haunting blue spheres lay disconnected from their sockets.

It made his stomach churn with delight.

A soft vocal purr pulled his darkening mind back towards the light of reality. At a graceful stride, a young brown tabby sauntered closer, warmth in her dim amber eyes. Her right hind paw flashed a stunning white against the mocha. Her whiskers were twitching with amusement, having caught the apprentice in the midst of a daydream.

"Having fun?" she chirped brightly, another purr rolling off her naturally honey sweetened timbre. It was impossible to think of the pretty female as anything but happy. Despite everything, a smile remained plastered on her muzzle as if trying to outshine the sun itself. But a sun-smiling warrior wasn't going to wash away Frecklepaw's agony.

Had she known what the apprentice was thinking, she would be singing a different tune. However, the 'paw decided to save her sanity. With her mate unconscious for the past few days, she had enough to worry about.

"Just...sharing my newfound knowledge with my brother," Frecklepaw nodded longingly to the grave. He thought he caught a sad smile on the she-cat's features but didn't press on.

The tabby sighed, hiding the mourn from her sickeningly sweet voice. "Oh, sweetie, that's wonderful. That bond you two share. Just don't stay out too much longer. I don't want you catching white-cough." She paused, then suddenly tacked on, "Or worse."

"Just a few more minutes?" the 'paw looked up at her with hope, feathery tail swishing innocently. Oh how could the tabby say no?

"Oh, alright," nodded the young warrior as she bowed lightly, stepping back to take her leave from the clearing that ShadowClan had finally claimed. And it would forever be there's as long as Specklepaw's body lay beneath the earth smack in the clearing's center. No snake-hearted ThunderClanner would dare stir up sacred soil for extra hunting grounds. Nor would ShadowClan for Fogstar himself, on Frecklepaw's behalf, stated that the clearing had now been included as a worshiped burial ground. Hunting there was now forbidden.

As the tabby she-cat swerved from view, pelt melting back into the shadowed pine, Frecklepaw whirled back on the mound that lay host to his late brother. "That was Mouseleap," he mewed cheerfully, stroking the upturned brown grains as if it were an newborn kit. "You remember her, right? She's the queen that looked after us until we were six moons. She's probably the kindest cat in all of the territories. Probably kinder than Doveflame," he mentioned ShadowClan's benevolent medicine cat. "She took us in when no one else wanted us. They said we were weak and unwanted. But she stood up for us. She proved them all wrong. We're stronger now." His chest puffed out proudly, acknowledging his kin as if he stood right beside him rather than lying dead and buried a foot underground. "You and me both, bro. Forever."

* * *

 _Just like leaves, lives sway and fall_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

As the days chilled and sunlight dwindled, the ginger flecked apprentice met his brother at the gravesite everyday. Through wind, rain, and bitter frost, Frecklepaw was there- warped in his own little dimension. He talked, mostly, about training, the weather, how Mosspaw started to grow more attached to him, his thoughts and dreams, hopes and fears. Anything to pass the time with his dearest Specklepaw.

Once the dim sunlight weaved through the trees, casting gnarled shadows upon the needle lined soil, a tired Frecklepaw was unable to find the energy necessary to pad back to the campgrounds. Laying unceremoniously sprawled out upon the lumpy earth, the young 'paw snoozed the night away, discovered at dawn by none other than the morning patrol.

"Really Frecklepaw," Doveflame had said that morning as the mentioned patrol returned the shivering, coughing apprentice back to the Clan. "Visiting your brother is one thing, but staying out all night is simply ridiculous! I'm surprised you haven't- " she was cut off by a sharp throat gurgle. " -caught white-cough..." she finished lamely with a sigh and twisted gracefully into the depths of her den in search of the medicinal remedies.

"Not my- " Cough. " -fault. Specklepaw wanted to hear my stories. I couldn't say no."

"Yes, I'm sure," the gray tabby she-cat tried her best to keep grief from her voice. It'd be better for Frecklepaw to be lathered in ignorance rather than depression. It was better if he believed his brother truly was by his side rather than an empty bag of skin and bones buried a foot underground. No harm came from letting the young 'paw's imagination run a little longer. He was still practically a kit in the eyes of the Clan. No sense in bringing that kit to the depths of trauma and agony.

Nosing the catmint leaves toward the bundle of ginger flecked fur, Doveflame watched afar with wary eyes. Wordlessly, Frecklepaw ate the creased leaves, his slender frame looking unusually scrawny in the light as he curled up on the moss bed. "Don't worry about watching me," he finally spoke, lifting his head to meet the medicine cat's gaze. "Specklepaw will keep me company, won't you?" A happy grin sat on his lips, his crown now slanted to the side as if speaking to a being alongside him. "Specklepaw says he'll watch over me," he announced proudly, coiling up tighter but on the edge of the nest, making room for an unseen essence.

Doveflame, unsure, cast a slow nod. Her blue-green optics shimmered with caution, but nonetheless, she allowed her patient the comfort of an imaginary friend as she backed out from the main den and slithered into the storage space.

Now left seemingly alone, Frecklepaw's breathing eased to a steady rhythm, his flanks rising and falling in time. Curled in on himself, the feelings of sleep tugged at his mind until it eventually overwhelmed its host, sending them to a dream-like state.

 _"Come on, Cos! You can do it!" a younger white-dotted, brown kit scurried around in the fenced in yard, a neon pink sphere bouncing back between his paws._

 _"I'm trying!" replied the other- same brown coat but freckled with ginger as opposed to white._

 _Abbott kept the ball just out of his brother's reach, sending it across the yard with a mighty swat in order to dodge an oncoming lurch._

 _Costello grunted in frustration, Abbott having overtaken him in speed and endurance. Another bout of desperation washed over him, giving its receiver a boost of agility necessary to keep in line. He was close to snatching it out from the other's paws, only to have his own tripped. Gravity pulled him to the earth, his muzzle colliding in the dirt ungracefully._

 _"So close, Cos!" Abbott trotted back over to him, tiny pink orb in paw._

 _"Yeah, right," Costello snorted harshly, blades of grass quivering at the gust of hot air._

 _"Don't be so down, you'll get it someday," Abbott tried to lighten up his moody sibling._

 _Costello jerked up, looking his brother. Emerald to emerald in gaze. "Oh really?" he whined. "How can I if you keep batting it away! I try my hardest but you just knock it away so easily! I'll never get it!" Tears were leaking at the corners of his eyes, body starting to shudder with unshed emotions._

 _"Hey hey hey," Abbott was at his sibling's side, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. "Don't get too down in the dumps. I'm just testing you. How else are you supposed to outlive me as the alpha sibling?"_

 _Costello sniffled, finally looking up into a twin pair of green orbs that mimicked his own._

 _"Gotta keep ya on your toes, eh?" Abbott nudged him playfully, watching as a slow smile snuck back onto the muzzle of the ginger-flecked shape._

A furious jostle, not enough to wake from slumber, earned the small host a place on his opposite side, mind tumbling into the depths of another black and white memory.

 _"Abbott?" the young kit squeaked with uncertainty, mind hazy and foggy from a recent awakening. "Where's Mama?" He looked around fearfully, only himself and his brother lay in the roomy nest._

 _"I don't know, Costello," Abbott's reply had his voice shuddering slightly, attempting to keep a lid on his forming panic. Costello watched as his brother bravely rose and began to climb over the barrier of fluff that kept them semi-confined during the night. "But I'm gonna go find her."_

 _Worry stuck the tinier's heart. Was he going to be left alone? "Can't I come with you?" he pleaded, desperate to not be left in solitude on the night of glowing pumpkins- whatever that had meant in Auntie Kitzle's words._

 _He hoped Abbott would say yes, but it was for naught when a head shake answered him, accompanied by a sad, "Sorry, Cos. Just wait here and see if she comes back. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, Costello gazed on somberly as his bold faced sibling strutted from the nest. Had Abbott's back not been to the other's front, he might of caught the sight of trembling tears._

An unpleasant squirm enticed worrisome leakage to the closed lids of the snoozing apprentice as he gave a lazy twist, rippling the past event into yet another.

 _"Costello! Costello!"  
_

 _The said kitten lifted his head at the mention of his name. He had been previously messing with the ground, claws idly poking the blades of garden grass as he awaited Abbott's return from the wilderness. Since the night of glowing pumpkins, Abbott had taken up trips through the hole under the fence much to Costello's twitchy displeasure. He wasn't as daring and the thoughts of an unknown adventure into the woods sent completely rational shivers of uneasiness down his spine._

 _He took a cautious sniff, wondering what musk his brother would return with. It was different almost every time he journeyed. Sometimes smelling of oak, pine, or even the herbal sharpness of unnamed and unknown plants. Today, as the white speckled bundle wriggled back under the hole, it was different. He continued to carry the perfume of the woods- that was to be expected- but an overbearing scent of feline bombarded his twitching nose._

 _Many cat scents wafted around Abbott, all unfamiliar and scenting of wild tendencies. Costello flinched. Alright, he was mildly curious._

 _"What are those scents?" he asked, rising from his former "game" of grass weeding._

 _"You noticed!" Abbott chirped. "Keen nose there, huh? Guess what! On my adventure today, I stumbled across a group of wild cats!"_

 _Eyes wide as moons, Costello debated turning on his heels to dart back inside where he knew it was safe. Safe away from his brother's words of slander and lies._

 _Abbott laughed, "Don't freak. They're actually quite interesting. I was approached by this group of them. They thought I was pretty brave for venturing into the forest all alone. They told me about a rather large group of theirs- they call it a 'Clan'. From what they say, it sounds pretty neat. They offered me a chance to join them. I said I'd think about it."_

 _"You said what?" Costello freaked despite his brother's insistence that he not. "But they're strange and you don't know them! You'd be alone! I'd be alone! Why would you consider this!"_

 _"Because it sounded fun," Abbott waved his tail. "And I thought you could come with me. I'm going back to the clearing tomorrow and was hoping you wouldn't make me go alone."_

 _Costello blinked his large green eyes. Slowly. "You mean, come with you? You want me to join you on your adventure? But why do you want a scaredy-cat like me?"  
_

 _"Cos," Abbott sauntered over to him, kitten laughter on his muzzle. "You're my brother. You actually thought I'd leave you all alone, bored out of your mind? No way, Jose! You're coming with me. Together, we'll brave the woods! And nothing will keep us apart!"_

The beginnings of a content smile graced his features, a glowing warmth blossoming in his mind and heart as his subconscious thoughts reminded him of the good days.

* * *

 _Just like leaves, lives sway and fall_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

Though unseen, the cries of lightning shattered the sky, fierce puddles raining agony from the blanket of ink. Dark splashes of crimson mingled with the fallen liquid, sticky and unpleasant when touched upon. Low thunder bellowed, accompanying the shrieking. Ivories flashed and snapped, splintering and tearing midst the war cries. Surrounding foliage drooped. The light had gone from sight. As it would be for the rest of the night, long hours of darkness, rain and blood.

From a fair distance away, nestled among a safe little hovel of shielding bramble tendrils, a ginger flecked shape observed with uncertainty. He couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia that washed over his pelt much like the recent rainfall. Deep within his memories, he marveled at the thoughts of having seen this scenario somewhere before. He couldn't quite name why it was so important, but nonetheless, the scene of writhing, furiously howling felines peaked an obvious interest.

 _But why?_

"Ah, I see you've found a memory," a silken voice broke through the spattering, the ghostly crunch of twigs evident in the newcomer's steps.

Frecklepaw whirled around, pelt ablaze with bristles like one would see needles on a pine. His vocals seized up, unable to bark out his immediate thoughts of fear and snark.

The figure slid into the hollow with an air of grace, his stark golden fur glowing. His slender black stockings faded into the floor shadows, long plush tail lazily cast behind him. A ruby and sapphire burned, gleaming with mischief. The young cat caught sight of an indescribable sign etched into the stranger's flanks, as well as a loose hanging collar donned with an almost hidden black bow-tie.

Name unknown, Frecklepaw still knew exactly who this was once the golden tomcat sidled up beside the smaller. He was the first constant factor of his brother's stories. On the night of glowing pumpkins, young Abbott described a grandiose feline of blazing gold, black stockings, red collar and bow-tie. He also made no motion to forget the heterochromatic shades of gems that twinkled in the night. A blood ruby and deep sea sapphire.

"Y-you," he stuttered, attempting to push past his amazement as the feline crouched down to the 'paw's level.

"Yes me," the tom answered with a splintering grin, a shiver running down the adjacent's spine. "I see the kid told you about me. That makes things easier."

"No it doesn't!" Frecklepaw blurted, the battle in front of them forgotten. "Abbott never told me your name. All he told me was that you helped him back home."

The golden feigned a tiresome yawn. "I find names tedious. Besides, your species wouldn't be able to pronounce it anyways. But if you want to avoid calling me 'cat', I'll allow 'Anonymous'. Wanna tell me what's going on here?"

Frecklepaw blinked, turning his head back upon the war. "I don't know," he admitted. "It seems important, but I can't place it." Beside him, Anonymous chuckled.

"You're still young," he said simply, before adding, "This is a memory. You- _we're_ \- accessing it from the outside."

The ginger flecked twitched uneasily. He was watching a memory? Of who?

"Yourself. This is one of your memories. A quite recent one if I must say. I'm surprised you haven't recognized it yet," the golden tomcat chided playfully, a smirk plastered on his features. He pointed with his thick furred tail, out at the war zone. "See that? Watch."

Frecklepaw did so as instructed, observing tentatively with cautious orbs. What exactly was he supposed to look for? It all came too quick once a blood-curdling scream stilled everything to silence. Craning his head forward with a suppressed gasp, the tom in the brambles eyed a similar scruff of ginger dotted brown fur as it stalked forward to a shaking clump of muddied off-white. But at his paws lay an even familiar pelt of white speckles.

"No..." he mewed alongside his memory counterpart as realization dawned on him.

Despite his internal will to look away, Frecklepaw continued to stare vacantly as his memory self began his tirade, a commotion of shouting and hissing erupting from both Clans caught up in the bloody skirmish. He looked on with tears as his counterpart was dragged away with the rest of his Clan, another warrior lingering in the rear carrying the memory Specklepaw.

"He's not dead. He can't be!" Frecklepaw rounded on the sleek bodied cat of gold. "Specklepaw promised he'd always be with me! He said nothing would keep us apart!"

"Yes, yes, keep yourself in denial," Anonymous sniffed disdainfully. "It's not as if your brother wanted you to live a happy life despite his own failures to side by you."

"How would you know?" Frecklepaw hadn't lowered his voice, still caught up in his rage.

"Kid, while your brother didn't talk to you much as a kit, he sure did confide in me," the tomcat revealed, somewhat reluctantly with a snort. "He claimed he wanted to keep you safe and more than anything- wished for your happiness. Are you happy?"

"No!" the smaller screeched. "My brother is dead! Specklepaw- Abbott- he's dead! I'm not happy!"

Somehow, the golden tom smiled at the other's misfortune. His long tail swept around his body as he rose to his haunches in a sitting position. "Very well. What will make you happy? Or at the very least- satisfied?"

Frecklepaw dove into his thoughts, scanning his most recent plots and events, wondering about changes that could occur, verifying his "happiness". It took a few moments before it came flashing back like a slash to the face.

 _Sky blue green-leaf eyes_

"That white tom! The white tom with the sky blue eyes! He is responsible! He has to pay!"

An almost maniacal grin marred the creature's face, head tilted with child-like innocence. "Be more specific, kid. How do you want him to pay?"

"Life for life," Frecklepaw bit out sharply before his mind could catch up. The bloodlust side was returning, easily overtaking his mind with gruesome ideas as to punish the ThunderClanner. He hadn't meant to say it- maybe just a few deep scars to remember what he did. But as he dwelled upon in further, death seemed more pleasing. It was only fair, after all. Specklepaw had died, therefore, the ThunderClan warrior should die as well. To keep things in balance.

Balance.

"Life for a life," mused the elder tom, rising to his ebony marked paws. "Very well. When you awake, I want you to head to the gravesite. I shall be waiting." Anonymous slid back out the way he came through the hollow, blazing coat suddenly swallowed up by the shadows as he finally fell from view- a flickering of azure lingering for the last few moments.

* * *

 _Just like leaves, lives sway and fall  
_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

It was well after dark when Frecklepaw stirred from his nest. Blinking droopy lids, his dull emeralds caught sight of the medicine cat's fluffy tail peeking from her nest as well as a new addition to the den. Across from him, sleeping silently save for a few coughs here and there, was Mosspaw. He absently wondered of her illness, nose twitching in hopes of deciphering the herbs. Except there were already so many herbal scents within the rock hollow that the apprentice couldn't tell one from another.

A cold shiver ran down his spine, reminding him why he had awoken in the first place.

 _That's right,_ he mused. _To the grave..._

And to the grave he went. Slipping silently out of the den with ease, prickles of excitement popping through bristled hairs. Peering around corners as hopes to avoid getting caught, the lanky tom slunk in the shadows like a typical warrior from his Clan. Glinting ambers glowed in the twilight, scanning over the woods with a predatory gaze. At this point, Frecklepaw could care less about getting noticed.

"Who's there?" a sharp voice broke the stillness of the night, amber orbs slitting and narrowed as they peered back at a crinkle of pine needles.

"Jus' me, Mothwhisker," Frecklepaw sighed, easily feigning a mournful look with glassy eyes as he padded closer in somber motions. "I woke up from a nightmare," Which wasn't a total lie. "I needed to see my brother."

"Oh," the young golden tabby straightened, feeling sympathetic as he noticed the faint shudder to the younger's form. "Alright then. Try to be back before dawn. Wouldn't want you to catch a nasty cough with upcoming leaf-bare."

Frecklepaw nodded slowly, paws dragging as he scuttled past the warrior and into the shadows of the towering pine. He could feel the crunch of needles underfoot, the ghost whisperings of the night fluttering in his ears. As he marched closer to the gravesite, he could feel the added rustle of leaves- fallen crinkles of dried orange and yellow from ThunderClan's part of the forest cast around by the brisk winds.

Moonlight splashed into the clearing up ahead, illuminating the surrounding trees. Frecklepaw passed the foliage border, brown pelt bathing in the sudden light. The bump in the center signified the location of burial; and seated right beside it was a pelt of stark golden.

The magical feline had stayed true to his word.

"Well?" Frecklepaw asked, unimpressed. "What now?"

"Turning his head toward the opposite end of the trees, the tomcat released a shrill bark. "You can come out now."

The bushes rustled loudly, before presenting a fluffy white pelt host to sky blue eyes.

 _Green leaf sky blue eyes..._

Frecklepaw felt himself involuntarily bristle- not from the cold, but rather, rage. This was the cat that murdered his brother.

His sibling.

His Specklepaw.

His Abbott.

"You," he growled, watching with satisfaction as the white ThunderClanner started to back away. He was scared of him.

Good.

"Now, now," chided Anonymous, a playful grin cast on his features, flicking his tail to beckon the warrior closer. To Frecklepaw's surprise, the cat inched closer, as if more terrified of the golden than the apprentice. "Let's not be hostile. I've brought you here together to come to an agreement. Whitestag, I understand you were the initiator of an accidental murder."

Whitestag. So that was his name.

"And Frecklepaw, I understand you were on the receiving end of the pain and trauma that Whitestag created. Care to remind me what you asked of me?"

Caught up in his unbound fury, Frecklepaw spat furiously, "His death! I want him dead! He killed my brother! I want Whitestag dead!"

Those stunning sky blues widened in horror, body stiff with fear as he watched a darker smirk settle on Anonymous' face. Even Frecklepaw felt his stomach churn at the sight. This wasn't going to be pretty...

"Very well," he purred, too silky and too smooth for either tom's liking. Without warning nor hesitation, the golden feline rocketed from his place beside Specklepaw's grave, suddenly appearing behind Whitestag in a flash of azure.

"Gak!" the ThunderClanner yowled in spine-splintering panic. If it was even possible, his cries grew in volume once deathly sharp fangs sank into his haunches. He was released, but not before a chunk of his pelt was flayed. Whitestag howled as the golden dove for his hind leg, gripping it tightly until a loud crack resonated throughout the hollow.

Gripping it tighter, Anonymous wrenched the bone from its socket, pain lacerated nerves at full spark. Wailing with pain, it was even more terrifying to experience the lack of feeling in his hind leg- soon to be hind legs as the blazing star had his teeth sinking into bone with ease. His entire lower back fell immobile, proving useless when the tom tried to unsuccessfully crawl away. Gasping with bloodshot eyes, Whitestag flailed furiously, his scruff easily caught in the steel hold of his attacker.

Whitestag ceased his cries as he hoped for a quick death. He was only rewarded with his upper half shaking from side to side. He was toying with him.

"Now now," came a rumbling, muffled purr. "Let's hear those pretty screams once more. You know I'll make it longer no matter what. Why not at least give me something worthwhile, hmm?"

Terrified, Whitestag broke out in shattering, broken sobs. "Please! Just kill me now! It's what I deserve!"

"Hmm, I don't think so," Anonymous feigned thinking, spitting out the bloody scruff where he was biting a tad too harsh. "You killed this kit's brother. I think this isn't enough torture. Perhaps I need to pick up the pace." With that spoken aloud, thin and long ivory claws poised themselves atop Whitestag's ruffled crown, sinking deep within his cranium and dragging painfully slow along his neck and down to his back, leaving bloody lines in its wake.

Fighting with whatever strength he had left, Whitestag tossed himself on his back, lashing out with enough force to bat away Anonymous. The golden grunted in surprise, however landing gracefully on his black stocking marked feet. Growling as if he had thunder in his throat, he leaped- azure flames licking his paws and connecting with the underbelly of his prey.

Frecklepaw recalled a time when Abbott claimed the flames were warm and comforting- often giving a sense of security. But as Whitestag's cries rose in volume, it was clear that if the host intended the fire to be lethal, then lethal they would be.

Huge, searing marks scorched into belly fur. Soon, those long ivories dug in as well, slicing as agonizing as possible. Whitestag was definitely coughing up blood now, the ground positively _lathered_ in the sticky substance. It was if an entire battle had broken out in the clearing.

With a final smirk, the blood spattered stark gold tomcat drew his claws lazily over his prey's last untouched spot: his throat.

"No, wait!"

Anonymous looked up, a deep frown marring his face as he noticed his kill being prevented. Frecklepaw had advanced, looking wary.

"What's the matter, kid?" the larger feline spat. "Not breaking out of a deal, are we?"

Frecklepaw shook his head back and forth swiftly. "No, nothing like that. I just wanted to be the one who gives the final blow."

Initially, the blood flecked feline looked irritated, but once a content grin settled back on his muzzle, he stepped away. "Look who finally grew a spine. He's all your's kid, not that he can go anywhere." He chuckled. Slinking away a few paces, he allowed the ginger speckled to get closer.

Frecklepaw moved with quick strides, pace faltering as he got closer. Would Specklepaw really want this? Is this what he himself wanted? But as he stared down at the shivering lump of bloody white fur, all he saw was his brother's lifeless body, begging for revenge.

"You. Listen." He growled low and clear, making sure the injured could hear every word. "My name is Frecklepaw. You killed my brother. Prepare to die." Without warning, his right forepaw slashed from the side, delivering a clean slice through the matted neck fur. Crimson bubbles flew from the initial impact, flickering wildly in the moonlight before settling in droplets midst the upturned soil.

Silence washed over the clearing. Three figures lacked a voice.

One living.

One dead.

One somewhere in between.

Low chuckles blossomed. The hunched over figure of Frecklepaw started shuddering with muffled vocals. He suddenly threw his head back and howled with laughter, chilling to the very soul. Guffawing with pure relief, he fell on his back, roaring as if he had been told the world's funniest joke.

From the shadows, a set of ruby and sapphire gleamed with amusement- sadistic and wild before fading from sight altogether.

Behind the howling feline currently lost in limbo, a ghostly presence went unknown. As it shed a silent tear of remorse, the wind seemed to whisper,

 _Oh Costello..._

* * *

 _Just like leaves, lives sway and fall  
_

 _Lives sway and fall, just like leaves_

* * *

 _Geez Louise, that took forever! Right up against the freaking deadline too! Oh well, I'm glad I finally finished this. If any of you have read my October CloudClan entry, you'll know some familiar faces in this. Because as everyone knows, Snarky loves to connect her stories! XD  
_

 _I also couldn't help myself when writing the last few paragraphs. Anyone else catch the Princess Bride reference?_

 _\- Snarky_


End file.
